In the installation of cannulated screws and other fasteners in the medical field, the traditional process has been to first identify the target area into which the cannulated screw or other fastener needs to be attached. Once the target area is defined, a guide wire is implanted. Such a guide wire may be a K-wire or equivalent guide wire well known to those skilled in the art. It may be threaded at one end for rotational installation or may be inserted following the drilling of a small pilot hole. Once the preliminary guide wire is installed, a hollow drill bit is placed over the guide wire and drilled into the target area of the bone. The drill is then removed and a cannulated screw placed over the remaining guide wire. The cannulated screw is then rotated into the bone to achieve its intended purpose. Once installed, the guide wire inserted at the beginning of the procedure is unthreaded or otherwise removed.
A problem has arisen from time to time when attempting to remove the hollow drill bit after it has been placed over the guide wire and used to drill a predetermined sized hole for the forthcoming cannulated screw. The problem is that upon removal of the hollow drill bit, the guide wire also comes out of the target site. Since the incision for the initial guide wire is small, the wound site may be lost and the surgeon in the position of having to search for the drill site for placement of a cannulated screw. Such may result in further irritation of the wound site and loss of precision time. Such may also result in a loss of the precise orientation of the initial guide wire which is critical to properly orient the cannulated screw. As a result, the need exists for an improved device and procedure for the insertion of a cannulated screw in the target location of a human bone. The guide wire is small as smaller wires typically are used to place screws ≦3.5 mm in diameter. Thus, it is frequently flimsy and difficult to direct.